Yeshi Pelzom Pradhan

Originally from Kanglung, Bhutan, Yeshi Pelzom Pradhan now calls Stone Mountain, Georgia her home. Yeshi fled Bhutan in 1990 and lived in India for 3 years before joining her fellow Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. She came to the USA in the year 2000 and sought political asylum.

As a woman rights activist, Yeshi presented the Bhutanese refugee concerns in front of the UN General Assembly in Geneva and also in multiple international women rights forum including the 2000 Beijing+5, a special UN session General Assembly in New York on gender equality and women empowerment.

Yeshi has worked as a Program Manager for two prominent resettlement agencies in Atlanta, Georgia – Lutheran Services of Georgia and International Rescue Committee. Yeshi is highly respected by her colleagues for her dedication to client care and her hard work has been recognized with accolades and appreciations.

Yeshi’s academic journey resumed after a fourteen-year-long gap when she joined LaGuardia Community College, New York, in 2004. There she won the very prestigious Jack Kent Cooke and Phi Theta Kappa scholarships, which allowed her a full-ride to Agnes Scott College and King’s College London where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and a Master’s Degree in Medieval English Literature, respectively. She is now a PhD candidate at Georgia State University, specializing in Victorian Literature with a focus on women authorship and readership. She teaches English Composition to the undergraduates and also contributes as a research assistant.

Academic and work aside, Yeshi is a doting mother and a loving wife. She is well-known amongst her circle of friends and family for her cooking - her food keeps alive the memories of Bhutan and at the same time,explores diverse cultures and styles. She loves watching movies, gardening, and going for walks, in addition to reading and writing. Yeshi aspires to keep learning so that she can excel in creating a meaningful contribution to the society.